Students from other schools join protest at Modern School

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Three days after the death of a 17-year-old girl student due to an asthma attack, students from prominent city schools Thursday staged a protest outside the Modern School in Vasant Vihar and demanded the resignation of principal Goldy Malhotra.

Students of Don Bosco, Delhi Public School-Dwarka, Birla Vidya Niketan, G.D. Goenka and Summerfield were among those who had gathered outside Modern School in Vasant Vihar, next to the embassy of Gabon, to protest the alleged negligence that led to Aakriti’s death.

The sStudents, many in school uniforms, plastered the school walls with posters reading “Goldy resign, we want justice”, “Timely help could have saved Aakriti’s life”, “Show some concern, life is precious”. However, Modern School authorities were prompt in removing the hand-made posters.

“We have come here to demand an apology from school principal and want her to immediately resign,” Katyayini, a student of the G.D. Goneka School, told IANS.

Sanna Gulati, a Class 10 student, said: “Aakriti was a very close friend and we demand justice. We will continue our protest, till she (Malhotra) resigns.”

One of Aakriti’s classmates, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IANS that Aakriti, a Class 12 commerce student, was a normal girl, though somewhat reserved.

“She was very reserved and did not socialise much with others. She mostly remained with her friends,” said the student.

Another classmate said: “Had the school authorities taken prompt action, she would have survived. We want justice for her. They take Rs.15,000 as medical fees but still do not provide any medical facility.”

Divyanshu, student of the DPS Dwarka, said: “It’s a sheer negligence on the part of the school administration. I do not understand why oxygen was taken off in the van. Why did the school wait for her parents. Had she been admitted to the hospital on time, she would have been with us right now.”

Aakriti had suffered an asthma attack in school Monday and died on the way to hospital. The principal, however, has refused to accept that Aakriti’s death was due to the school’s alleged negligence.